2012-13 NAIA DII Women’s Basketball Coaches’ Top 25 – Week 1

Concordia (Neb.) remains on top of the Coaches' Poll

November 27, 2012

By Travis Rae, Communications and Sports Information Intern

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Concordia (Neb.) has claimed the top spot in the first edition of the 2012-13 NAIA Division II Women's Basketball Coaches' Top 25, the national office announced Tuesday. Concordia collected all 13 first place-votes and 343 points for its second-straight No. 1 ranking.

Moving up a spot to No. 2 is College of the Ozarks (Mo.) with 325 points. Indiana Wesleyan also moved up one position, from No. 4 to No. 3 collecting 322 points. No. 4 Morningside (Iowa) climbed one spot with 316 points, while No. 5 Briar Cliff (Iowa) rounds out the top five notching 297 points.

Joining the Top 25 are No. 19 Valley City State (N.D.), No. 20 St. Thomas (Fla.) and No. 22 Huntington (Ind.).

Eleven of the 13 Division II women's basketball conferences/independents/unaffiliated groups are represented throughout the Top 25, led by the Great Plains Athletic Conference and Crossroads League with five ranked teams each.

The poll was voted upon by a panel of head coaches representing each of the conferences and Independents. The second regular-season poll will be announced on Dec. 4.

Notes:(All information as of the 1999 - 2000 season) Despite holding more national titles than any other school, Northwestern's (Iowa) 12 No. 1 appearances rank in a tie for fifth... Indiana Wesleyan has appeared at the top of the poll on 25 occasions, six more than Morningside (Iowa) for the most No. 1 rankings all-time ... Davenport (Mich.) and Hastings (Neb.) are tied for the next most with 13 No. 1 rankings apiece, followed by Northwestern and Saint Francis (Ind.), who both have made a dozen No. 1 appearances ... There have been 14 different teams to garner the No. 1 ranking all-time ... Three schools have spent an entire season at No. 1: Morningside in 2008-09, College of the Ozarks (Mo.) in 2007-08 and Saint Francis in 1999-2000 ... In the last 13 years, six teams that have been rated No. 1 in the preseason have gone on to win the national championship with the last being Northwestern, which has accomplished the feat the last two years.